Water-closet seat.



W. C. REES.

WATER CLOSET SEAT.

i y APPLICATION FILED OCT. IZ, 1915. 1,171,644. 111611161 161,. 15,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IMUQ7ZO7" wam/1ero 22665,

W. C. REES WATER CLOSET SEAT.

APPLICATION FILED 001.12. 1915.

1,171,644. Patnd Feb.15,1916.

` 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

27 6 g/ a@ i 40 --Im III i @www d o6? 71 @ya THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0., WASHINGTON, D. c.

TE STATES FATENT Enron.

WARREN C. BEES, or soarEnvTnLE, MASSACHUSETTS, assienoa To ASEPTIC SERVICE COMPANY, Lon BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A Conronnrren or MAINE.

WATER-CLOSET SEAT.

Specidcaton-'of Letters Patent.

Patented Een. 15,1916.

Application led'October 12, 1915. Serial N o. 55,540.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VWARREN C. BEES, a citizen of the United States, Vand resident oi Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful. Improvementsin Water-Closet Seats, of which the 'following is a specification.

The present invention relates to aseptic water closets of thetype in which a clean urface is always provided on the seat by the use of a paper, orother a'septieor Sanitary covering, which is shifted andrenewed lafter each use of the closet. l More particularly the inventionhas relation to that type of closet in Vwhich the seat is formed with two members located at opposite sides ofthe toilet bowl and each pro# jecting toward the center thereof when in use', and being raised or withdrawn when not Vin use. Seats of this .character are eX- hibited `in my prior Patents No.'.1,"09v2',3192, wherein the Seat members are withdrawn into a casing when notV in' use, and No. 1,156,175 dated Gctober 12, 1915, in which the seat members are raised when Vnot in use. In toilets of this .type the seat members are placed in operative position, that is in a substantially horizontaljposition projecting over the toilet bowl, immediately prior jto each use of the toilet, and are retained in that position by looks 'or latches;

Such latches are released when .a weight is placed upon the seat, asin the ordinary use ofthe toilet, and springs' or equivalent automatic means are provided for returning the seat members to Atheir inoperative (respectively withdrawn or raised) positions as soon .as the weight has been removed. Hitlierto in seats of this type the locks or latches and the means for releasing such locks under pressureV of the superimposed weight, for the two sections, have been entirelyin'dependent of one another, whereby it has been possible by coniining. the weight` whollyto one Section, to release the lock of that` section, and allow that section alone to be withdrawn or raised upon removal oftheweight,

leaving the other section in the substantially horizontal or operative position.V It has been found in practice that in the useof such seats just this result has frequently occurred, by reason of the user having supported his weight wholly or mai'nlyonone of the seat sections, without applying suiii- I y of these principles.

cient pressure to the other section vto release the lock of the latter. 4Such a result is undesirable and objectionable for various reasons, `among which .are the greater diiii- Y I `sort indicated, together with eiiicient controlling 'means a-ndconnections by which the application of a weight on either seat membei` will release 'thelock of the other seat member, insuring the retraction of both Seat members into the inoperative position after each use .of the closet, even though the Y weight-of' the user Vmay have been supported Wholly by one of the seat members.

A further object is to provide means for correlating .the movement of one member to that 'of 'the other, compelling the two members 'to .move iin substantially identical fashiomand preventing'tli'e raising or rlow-A ering of either alone. 1 f

With the foregoingV explanation of purposein mind, 'the principles .and scope of eol the inventionmay `be suiiiciently understood from the following detailed description o one possible embodiment in concrete formv Figure 1 is a front elevation offa toilet with oneV form of my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view on an enlarged Scale of the parts to which my pres- K ent" invention is confined, located below the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. AFig. 3 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2, illustrating such partsin the position occupied thereby immediately prior to use.V Fig. 4 Vis a similar view showing the parts in the position ofuse, that is, in the position oc# cupied after a weight'h-as been applied to the seat'. Fig. 5 is a view of parts at the left of line 5-5 yin Fig. 8. Fig. 6 is a ydetail view of vthe latch, seen from the point of view of Fig. 5 but in the position assumed whenthe' seat is placed as in Fig. L

The same reference characters indicateV lthe' same parts'in all the iigures.

Referring to the drawings', 10 represents i" I i Ui a toilet bowl and-11, 11. represent the ymembers which together form the seat of the toilet. and which may be called for the purposes of this description seat membersV or sections. These members are duplicates of one another and are each pivot-ed by a pintle 12 to a casing 13. Such Vcasings are located at opposite sides of the toilet bowl and are connected by crossbars at the front and rear of the bowl, respectively', so that a rigid structure is produced which maybe supported in any suitable -or desired way, for example, as shown in my patents aforesaid, or as in my Patent No. 1,165,123 dated Dec. 21, 1315. The casings 13 lextend above the rim of the bowl and the pintles 12 are-at such a height that the seat members, when placed in a horizontal or substantially horizontal position, may extend over the sides of the bowl toward median plane thereof, and therefore toward one another, their inner edges being separated by a space suliicientiy wide fory the purposes of the toilet. Y

Fig. 1 shows the seat members in the position assumed just before use. They are brought into this position by a treadle bar 1G which forms theV connecting part and operating part of two lever arms 17, 17, each of which is piyoted to a bracket 1S depending from one of the casings 13. rlhe latter, by the way, may be understood to contain a supply spool or roll of `paper and a take-up roll on which the paper is wound after being passed `over and under the adjacent seat member. The elements and mechanisms contained within the casings, as well as the means by which the seat members are normally held in the withdrawn or raised, that is inoperative, position may be of any character, such for example, as shown in my prior Patents No. 1,092,392 ldated April 7, 1914 or No. 1,156,175 dated Gctober 12,1915. As such elements .and mechanism are fully described in the aforesaid patents, repeated illustration and description thereof are-not deemed to be necessary in this specification, since the present invention relates Wholly to the locking and releasing` means and lequalizing connections betweenv the seat'members, and is not concerned otherwise with the operation of the seat members, nor with the aseptic covering or the means for supplying ,and taking up the latter. Itis sutlicient to be understood that the seat members are under a constant pressure or impulse tending to withdraw them from the operative` position to the inoperative raised,V or retracted, position, and that the treadle 16 is an'operating means adapted to bring them into the operativeV position against the' yielding resistance of such force or impulse. When the seat members are brought into this position, they are held by latches, of

the

One

which there is one for each member.

of these latches has been fully illustrated in` detail in the drawing,v and such illustration sulices for both, since the two are preferably duplicates of kone another.

The latch consists of .a plate 19 and a supporting arm 20 on a rock shaft 21, .and

having a shoulder which is adapted tocarriedV by a bracket 24.. which issecured to theunder side of the.

engage a pin seat section. The said rockshaft is located directly in backy of the crossbar 14: and 1s rotatably mounted near its ends in bearing;

blocks 25 secured to said crossbar. Y The arms 20 are conveniently formed by bending up the extreme ends of the rod which forms the rock shaft, although this particular detail of construction may be varied without .departing from the; invention.I A-

spring` 26 is coiled about the rock shaft 21 and is engaged therewith by one of its ends passing' intol a hole 27 yinV the rock shaft as shown in Fig. 4l. The other end 28. is

carried out straightand `is caused to bear on the crossbar 14;, as shownin Fig. 5. The

pressure of the spring tends to hold the rock shaft and arms in the position shown in Fig, 5, kwhere eacharm bears against a stop finger 29 formed-[on a plate which is attached on the inner` side off the bearing block 25.

the path in which stud 23 is carried by the movement of the seat to operative position.

The face or-edge 30 of the latch plate ex-V tending from the inner limit of the shoulder 22 to the outerlimit of the latch is inclined to the plane. in which theistud and seat move, whereby the stud on striking such edge is adapted to displace the latch and to pass by the shoulder. In other words,

the latch has a cam portion by whiohitmay dislodge the latch from `the path of the stud, as illustrated in Fig. 6.

When the seat reaches the operative position, in which it is locked by the cooperation of the Vlatch shoulder 22and stud 23, it rests s on` a spring elevated post or plunger 31 l-. which slides in a vertical guide 32 formed? on the` crossbar 14, Vand is supported kby a f spring 33 which reacts against a foot. 34e` projectingdownward and inward from the crossbar under the plunger rod. This post is adapted to yield against the resistance of spring 33 untilthe seat strikes the upper end of the guide 32 as shown. in Fig. el.

The bracket 2l previously described as carrying the stud 23 projects somewhat be- As thus arrested by the stop finger, theshoulder 22ofthe latch crosses idd yond the outer end of the seat. and has a finger 35 extending Vabove the lower surface a reduced part of the pin and is confinedV .of theseat and close tothe outer Vend or` the latter, and is formed with a convexinclined wedge or cam V,surface 36,l as shown best inFigs. 5 and 6. vThe latch carries a yielding guide pinl 37 which is pressed toward the bracket 24-and, in the normal posillatch plate 19 and passing through thesame.

A spring 39, indicated in Fig. 3, surrounds between a shoulder thereon and a complemental internal shoulder at the. outer end of the sleeve, in a well known manner. The pin hasV a head/40 at the end of itsreduced part which Vis prevented from passing through the sleeve andthereby limits the movement of the pin in the direction toward which it is pressed bythe spring. 1, f

When the seat-is brought into position for use, the locking stud 23 passes over the latch and becomes engaged therewith. Both seat Vmembers are brought into this position simultaneously and are both so locked. If now a; person sits on the' seat the latter is depresseduntil it reaches the positive stop provided by the guide 32. In somoving, the outer edge of the seat bears on the cam surface of the latch and shift-s thelatch outwardly, as shown in Fig. 6, thereby carrying the. spring pressed guide pin37 beyond the outer or forward edge of the bracket :24. As soon as the pinvhas passed beyond the outer edge of this bracket it vis pressed out by its spring 39 and thereby is caused to overlap the bracket, and is preventedfby the outer edge thereof from returning to the locking position.. Now when the weight of the occupant is removed from the seat, the latter is raised by the means provided for that purpose, such, conveniently, as describedin my prior patents above specified. In this rising movement of the seat, the

latch is held by the engagement of the guide pin with the outeriedge 36 of the bracket awayfrom the locking studV 23 until after the latterhas passed the latch shoulder.V

When the bracket has fully passed by' the guide pin, the latch is returned bythe constantly acting spring 26 tothe normalposition. l't matters not whether'v in the use of the seat both sections or only one have been pressed upon, because the rigid connection between the latches of the two studs, through the rock shaft 2l, insures the release ot' both latches when either onefis released in themanner last above described, andthe weight of the occupant on either seat section is operative to releasey the latch ofthat section. Thus even thoughthe weight' of the guard. For'this purpose and also-to-equalpivot.

usershould be applied. onlyto onesection, bothV are equally released and allowed to returnafterward to theinoperative position.

- In `such conditions asf referred to in the l foregoing description, "it Vis also desirable .that the seat section .which is not lpressed,

upon should not rise and either' cause inl convenience to the Vuser or pass into the inoperative posit-ion and so leave uncoveredthat part of thev bowl which it 1s intended` to ize the movement of the two seat sections' in theordinary operation, l have provided Y a connection between the sections, which consists of a rock shaft 41 extending across lthe toilet and supported by lugs 42 on the casings 13, and having at each end anrarniv 43 which kis connected byalink L.t4-with the adjacent seat section, such section having a lug or bracket 45 carrying, a pivot stud extreme positions of the rockshait,'arms 48 and links 44, areshown by full and'dotted lines, respectively, in Fig. It will' be. evident that' in all'positions the armsfare. so oblique to the links that movement 'of either 46 contained in van eye 47 in the link. rl`he` seat section kindependently of the 4other-sectionA is impossible.;`

Referringv again to the seat lockand particularly to Figs. 8 and 4attention`is called to the fact that the bracket 24 and its Acam nger 35 Vare in concentric relation. to the pivot 12 of the seat; that is, these` parts of the bracket are inclined to one anotherand are substantially equally distant dfrom the They are in elect chords of .adja-Vv cent arcs ofthe same circle having'the seat pivot` as its center. Further, thatthe. guide 'pin 3T is substantially radial to the same axis and has' its spring impelled movement in the direction-of its lenffth;-and 'that' the:V

`plane in which the guide pin is shifted by -swinging of the rockarm 20 is lparallel. to

said axis. These relations are established in Vorder that the guide pin will reinainin engagement with the cam edge of the bracketl throughout the lengthor' the latter, without requiringV to be made excessively long or to have an excessive rangeY of' spring pressed movement, and also tofavoid obliquity of action of the pressures exerted by these members, one upon another, so far as possible. The extremexend of'thebracket is bent. back or out, that-is, at an inclination to the radius of the seat pivot so that it will pass over theend oftheguide pin 37g and crowd the latter back as the lseat. cornes i int.o;operative position..4

I desire it to;y be understood that the descriptive terms hereinbefore used inA this specification havebeen chosen wholly with illustrative embodiment of theinvention and' vention to elements ,or means :answering the jregard to their aptness to the particular Awithout intent tolimit thescope ofthein'- Y iso Y most restricted definitions of such terms.

My invention is to cover 'by the appended claims the principles herein involved, in whatever specific form'of mechanical means vthey may 'be embodied. Y

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A water closet seat, comprising independent sections or members, locks for holding the seat members in operative position, and means for releasing the lockof either section when that of the other section :is released.

2. A. water closet seat comprisingtwo sep- Y arate sections, a lock for each section adapted to hold the same in operative position, means control-led by pressure of a weight on either section for releasing the lock thereof, connectionsV whereby the release of either lock also releases the other.

8. In combination with a seat composed of distinct Aand separate parts and Aadapted to voccupy either a substantially horizontal position. for use or a retracted and inoperative position, a separate `lock for holding each section in operative position, and means for releasing the locks of both sectionswhen i either section. is sat upon.

4. A seat composed of distinct sections adapted :to be respectively raised and lowi ered, 'means acting-on said sections tending constantly to raise them, latches arrangedfor automatic engagement with the seat sections lwhen lowered :to retain them in lowered position, said latches having means for causing their disengagement when the seat is sat upon, means whereby the Vrelease of either latch causes the other to lbe released, and connecting means from one seat section v.to the other for preventingraisingof either while the other remains lowered.

5. The combination with -a toilet, of Vseat sections pivotally mounted at opopsite sides of the. toilet and extending therefrom toward one another when in the position for use, said sections being raisable about their pivots, alatch for each section arranged to hold the saine in the lowered position, connecting means between said latches for causing similar actuation of either when the 7. In combination with a toilet, a seat comprising 4two sections ypivoted at opposite sides of :the toilet eXtendingtowar-d one another when in position for use and being.

raisable into inoperative position, lpivotally mounted latchl arms mounted .adjacent to each seat section beneath the same, `latch abutments carried by-said sections engageable with said latch arms, a rock shaft connecting the latch arms ofboth sections whereby movement `.of lboth latch arms ink unison is assured, a second, rock` shaft having two rock arms, each adliacent to oneof the seat sections, anda link joining eachY rock armlto the adjacent section.

S. In combination. with a toilet, a seat. consisting of two sections pivot-ed at oppoi site sides of the toilet and movable from a substantially horizontal position extending;

toward one another =froin their pivots, into a raised or inoperativeposition, a lat-chingabutment carried by Veach seat section, kaA

latch adjacent to the abutment of each section when the latter is 'in the position :for

use, a rock arm carrying each'latch, and. a f

rock shaft to which said rock arms are rigidlyjoined,`eachlatch'having a cam face and each seat section havinga complemental` portion 'adapted to bear on said cam facew and displace the latch from locking-position upon depression of theseat below its opei'a-vk tive position.

' 9. The combina-tiongwithr a shiftable'r seat adapted to be `lowered Tinto position for use i and raised into. inoperative position, ofja latch for holding the seat inoperative position, comprising a member having a` shoulderand arranged to swing -i-n a plane substantially parallel to the path of movement. of theseat, and having a cam'portion, said` seat 'having :a locking abutment adapted to y engage said cam portion vto displace the latch when approaching operative position,

and to pass under the latch shoulder when in such position, and the seat being ari ranged to bear on saidV cam surface land dis-A place the vlatch from locking position whenl carried beyond theposition for use, and the seat and llatch havin-g also complemental means for retainingth'e latch out of the path rof the locking abutment Vuntil such abutment has passed the latch upon the withdrawal of the seat to inoperative position.

10. The combination with a seat having a latch engaging abutment, of a latch having a shoulder to interlock withk said abutment and having an inclined cam sui-face adjacent thereto, the seat being formed with a part to bear on said cam surface and fdisplace the latch from locking position,'a cam member projecting from'the seatadjacent to the latch and having a cain edge, and a guide pin carried `by the latch yieldinglyvr pressed against said cam memberfwhen the latch is in locking position, and being displaced beyond the edge of said cam member when displaced by coaction of the seat with the cam surface of thelatch.

l1. The combination with a pivotally mounted seat, of a bracket extending therefrom in the general direction of movement thereof-,a stud carried by said bracket and arranged transverse to such direction of movement, a latch pivotally mounted to swing in aV plane substantially parallel to the axis of the seat and having a shoulder arranged to overlie said stud, having also a cam edge at the side thereof next to the seat, which cam edge extends across the nearest edge of the seat, a yielding spring-` pressed pin carried by said latch andV pressed toward the bracket,being normally held back thereby when the seat is in locked engagement with the latch, said bracket having a guiding edge at its outer limit beyond the end of the seat. Y

12. The combination with a pivoted seat, of a bracket secured to the under side of said seat adjacent to the edge thereof, having a linger projecting beside said edge, the bracket and finger being inclined to one another in the relation of chords of adjacent arcs of the same circle having the axis of the seat as a center, a stud carried by the bracket near the outer end `thereof and arranged approximately radial to said axis, a latch arm pivoted to swing in a plane approximately parallel to said axis and provided with a shoulder arranged to pass between said stud and the surface of the seat when the latter is in locking relation, and having an in-V clined surface at its end next to the seat passing beyond that edge of the seat beside which the aforesaid bracket finger lies, a pin carried by the latch arm, being movable endwise and resiliently pressed toward said bracket, being in Contact therewith and arrested thereby when the seat is in looked relation, the outer edge of the bracket andl the cam edge of the latch being .so disposed and proportioned that pressure bythe seat edge onthe latch cam is'adapted to swing the latch arm far enough to carry itsspringpressed guide pin beyond the edge of the bracket. f

In testimony whereof I have affixed m signature.

WARREN C. R17-)Eg Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

